Mechanism for feeding paper and like webs



Aug. 22, 1933. BLACK 1,923,609

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING PAPER AND LIKE WEBS Filed May 11, 1951 Patented Aug. 22, 1933 PATENT OFFICE I Lazarus;

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING PAPER AND LIKE WEBS Horace Drummond Black, Uxbridge, England, assignor to Bell Punch Company Limited, Ux-

bridge, England Application May 11, 1931, Serial No. 536,577, and i in Great Britain July 26, 1930 Claims. (Cl. 2712.6)

This invention is for improvements in or relating to mechanism for feeding insets and more particularly to mechanism of the type which comprises means operable to feed con- 5 tinuously an inset having pre-printed matter disposed at regular intervals along the length thereof, a conveyor (arranged to engage and travel with the said inset for at least a predetermined period at the surface speed thereof) associated with means arranged to detect any variation which would place the inset out of register with a device or product of a press with which it is intended to register, and ensure electrically or pneumatically the actuation of mechanism operable automatically to correct any such variation.

An example of such mechanism is described and claimed in the specification of United States patent application Serial No. 334,437 filed January 23rd, 1929.

In the aforesaid specification, there is disclosed means comprising a conveyor arranged to engage and travel with an inset web for at least a predetermined period, and which is provided with at least one pair of contacts arranged to co-operate with an arcuately-shaped brush contact'for a period dependent upon the length of such arcuate brush, whereby an electric impulse is generated upon the completion of the circuit through a perforation in the inset web, should such inset web become out of register with the webs with which the same in intended to be inset.

With apparatus constructed as disclosed in the preceding paragraph, the correcting mechanism is initially operated by means of the impulse in the circuit above referred to, and is thereafter maintained in operation for a longer and predetermined period, and during which period a predetermined degree of correction is effected. It will be appreciated, however, that the degree of correction resulting from an initiating impulse, may not be sufficient to eliminate wholly the error which has occurred, and probably continuing to occur in one direction or the other of the inset web entailing intermittent efforts to correct, and one object of the present invention is to ensure that once the correcting mechanism has been set in operation, it will continue to operate until the error in the registration of an inset is entirely eliminated.

According to this invention, there is provided a control system of the type specified, wherein means are provided whereby the correcting mechanism once set in operation, continues to operate independently of thedevices for detaching errors in registration of the web until any such error is eliminated, whereupon an independent detector device automatically terminates the operation of the correcting mechanism.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference is directedto the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure '1 is an electrical circuit diagram of a control system constructed in accordance with this invention, and

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic end viewof a conveyor cylinder for a control system constructed in accordance with this invention.

Referring to the drawing, a conveyor cylinder 1 (Figure 2) is arranged to engage and travel with an inset web 2 for a predetermined period, for example, in the manner described in the specification of the aforesaid United States patent application Serial No. 334,437. The web 2 is provided with a series of regularly spaced apertures disposed along the length thereof, one of which is illustrated diagrammatically at 3, and which, when the inset web is in correct register with the product issuing from a rotary printing press or a cutting or other device, coincides with a neutral contact 4 provided upon and insulated from the conveyor 1. Upon either side of the contact 4 around the circumference of the conveyor 1, two further arcuate contacts 5 and 6 are provided, which are insulated from each other and from the contact 4. The contacts 4, 5 and 6 are electrically connected to corresponding collector rings 7, 8 and 9 (Figure 2) with which corresponding brushes are arranged in contact, the brushes being connected respectively to electrical leads 10, 11 and 12 (Figure 2). An arcuate brush 13 is arranged to embrace a portion of the periphery of the conveyor cylinder 1 in such a manner that if the web 2 were absent, the brush would establish electrical connection with the contacts 4, 5 and 6 at each rotation of the conveyor cylinder.

The brush 13 is electrically connected by a lead 14 to one pole, for example, the positive pole, of a source of electrical energy, and is also electrically connected to each of a pair of armatures 15, 16 provided upon a corresponding pair of locking conveyor relays 17, 18. The armatures 15 and 16 are normally maintained, for example, by means of springs, out of contact with associated contacts 19, 20 which are electrically connected respectively to the leads 11, 12. The locking relays 17, 18 are provided respectively with further armatures 21, 22 normally maintained by springs out of contact with corresponding electrical contacts 23, 24. The armatures 21, 22 are operable respectively to close the circuits of the correcting mechanism of the apparatus indicated diagrammatically at A and B, the correcting mechanism A being operable to correct errors in the registration of the inset web 2 in one direction, whilst the mechanism B is operable to correct errors in the registration of the webin the opposite direction. The windings of the relays, 17, 18 are electrically connected together at one end and to the other pole, for example, the negative pole, of the source of energy to which the brush 13 is connected; the said ends of the relays 17, 18 are also connected through the winding of a cancelling relay 25 to the neutral contact 4 on the conveyor 1. The other ends ofthe windings of the relays 17, 18 are respectively connected through the medium of armatures 26, 27 of the cancelling relay 25, and the leads 11, 12 to the arcuate contacts 5, 6. The armatures 26 and 27 are normally maintained closed, and establish the electrical connection between the relays 17, 18 and the contacts 5, 6.

The operation of the mechanism lowsz- When the inset web is in correct register, and the apertures 3 therein therefore coincide with the neutral contact 4 as the web passes round with the conveyor 1, the brush 13 establishes electrical connection with the contact 4 as the conveyor rotates, and energizes the relay 25, which moves the armatures 26, 27 thereof, but effects no actuation of the mechanism. As soon as the inset web 2 creeps out of register with the product of the press, the apertures 3 therein are displaced in one direction or the other with respect to the contact 4, so that electrical connection is established between the brush 13 and one of the contacts 5 or 6, through the apertures in the web, dependent upon whether the web moves out of correct register in a forward or backward direction. Assuming that the movement of the'web 2 out of register causes electrical connection to be established between the brush 13 and the forward contact 5, the consequent electric impulse will energize relay 17 and close its associated contacts 15 and 19 and 21 and 23. Itwill be observed that the closing of contacts 15 and 19 places the relay 17 in direct connection with the positive pole of the battery by the elimination of brush 13 and contact 5 and the relayl'l is-held self-energized, and so long as relay 17 is held so energized, the contacts 21 and 23 are held closed, and the correcting mechanism A will continue to function. As the correcting mechanism A operates to correct the error in registration of the inset web 2 with the product of the press, the aperis as foltures 3 in the inset web are gradually displaced relatively to the arcuate contact 5 towards the neutral contact 4, and as soon as the saidv apertures coincide with the contact 4, the brush 13 establishes electrical connection with the said contact 4 and causes the energization of the cancelling relay 25 which moves the armature 26v and breaks the circuit of the relay 1'7, and, as a consequence, contacts 21 and 23 break, and actuation of correcting mechanism A ceases.

If the inset web 2 moves out of register in the opposite or backward direction, electrical connection is established between the brush 13 and arcuate contact 6, and causes an actuation of the correcting mechanism B until the error in registration of the web is corrected, and the apertures 3 again coincide with the neutral contact 4, which cause the energizing of the cancelling relay 25 which thus breaks down the circuit of the relay 18 in a similar manner to that above described in connection with the relay 17.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details illustrated in the drawing, but covers any variations of the circuits which ensure that once actuation of the correcting mechanism is initiated, the actuation is maintained until the error in registration of the inset web is completely corrected, and that state itself causing the cessation of the actuation of thecorrecting mechanism.

It is also to be understood that the invention is applicable to arrangements in which other types-of contact devices than the brush 13 and contacts 4, 5 and Bare employed. For example, the brush 13 may be replaced by an arcuate band or plate, and each of the contacts 4, 5 and 6 may be replaced by a series of contacts, pins or springs, as described in the specification of British patent application No. 21,782 of 1930.

If desired, the circuits of the system may be so arranged that the action of the relays 17 and 18 are interconnected to prevent the simultaneous energization of the said relays in the event, for example, of the inset web breaking or tearing, in which case the arcuate brush 13 would establish electrical connection with the three contacts4, 5 and 6 simultaneously. This interconnection may beeifected by arranging the armature 16 of the locking relay 18 to control the circuit of the relay 17 so that when the relay 18 is energized, movement of the armature 16 automatically breaks the circuit of the relay 17. The electrical connection to accomplish this result is indicated in dotted. lines in Figure 1, it being understood that the dotted lines represent the branching of the connection of the winding of the relay 17 to the negative source of energy. The circuit of the relay 18- is arranged to be controlled by the armature 15 of the relay 1'7 in a similar manner.

What I claim is:

1. A control system of the kind referred to for the feeding in register of a web having registration indications provided at regular intervals along the length thereof, which comprises at least one device responsive to errors in registration of said indications and adapted to be operatively connected to a feed regulating mechanism for the web and arranged upon one responsive actuation to set the feed regulating mechanism in continuous operation and a further device responsive solely to correct registration of said indications and adapted to control the first said device and thereby terminate any operation of said feed regulating mechanism then in progress, for the purpose described.

2. A control system of the kind referred to for the feeding in register of a web having registrah tion indications at regular intervals along the length thereof, which comprises a conveyor arranged to travel with the web for a predetermined distance, means on said conveyor with which said indications on the web are normally arranged to register, at least one device responsive to errors in registration between said indications and said means and adapted to be operatively connected to a feed regulating mechanism for the web and arranged upon one actuation to set said mechanism in continuous operaalong the length thereof, which comprises in combination a rotatable conveyor drum over a portion of the circumference of which the web is arranged to extend and which is adapted to travel at the normal speed of the web, at least three circumferentially arranged zones on said conveyor, namely a forward zone and a rearward zone and a neutral zone disposed between them and with which latter zone the registration indi cations normally register, means provided at the forward and rearward zones for detecting an error in registration between the registration indications-and the neutral zone and adapted to be operatively connected to a feed regulating mechanismfor the web and to set the same in continuous operation to correct the said error upon one actuation of either of said means and means .at said neutral zone for detecting when the registration indications are in register therewith and adapted when actuated to control the means at the forward and rearward zones and thereby terminate the operation of the feed regulating mechanism for the purpose described.

4. A control system of the kind referred to for the feeding in register of a web having registration perforations provided at regular intervals along the length thereof, which comprises in combination a rotatable conveyor drum over a portion of the circumference of which the web is arranged to extend and which is adapted to travel at the normal speed of the web, at least three circumferentially arranged contacts on said conveyor, namely, a forward contact and a rearward contact and a neutral contact disposed between them with which latter contact theregistration perforations normally register, a brush located upon the opopsite side of the web to the conveyor and applied thereagainst in thepath of the contacts through the registration perforations as the same pass the brush, a pair of self-locking relays one connected in circuit with the forward contact and with the brush and the other connected in circuit with the rearward contact and with the brush, a third relay connected in circuit with the neutral contact and with the brfih and arranged when energized to break the circiuts of both the selflocking relays, the latter being adapted'whilst energized to set a feed regulating mechanism for the web in continuous operation, for the purpose described.

5. A control system of the kind referred to for the feeding in register of a web having registration indications provided at regular intervals along the length thereof, which comprises in combination a rotatable conveyor drum over a portion of the circumference of which the web is arranged to extend and which is adapted to travel at the normal speed of the web, at least three circumferentially arranged contacts on said conveyor, namely, a forward contact and a rearward contact and a neutral contact disposed between them with which latter contact the registration indications normally register, a pair of self-locking relays the circuit of one electrically connected with the forward contact and the other with the rearward contact, the said relays being adapted for operative connection to a feed regulating mechanism for the web so that whilst energized either relay effects a corresponding continuous operation of said mechanism, a third relay, the circuit of which is electrically connected with the neutral contact and arranged when energized to break the circuits of both the self-locking relays and means operable by said registration indications to establish the circuit of that relay only with which said indications are in register, for the purpose described.

6. A control system of the kind referred to for the feeding in register of a web having registration perforations provided at regular intervals along the length thereof, which comprises in combination a rotatable conveyor drum over a portion of the circumference of which the web is arranged to extend and which is adapted to travel at the normal speed of the web, at least three circumferentially arranged contacts on said conveyor, namely, a forward contact and a rearward contact and a neutral contact disposed between them with which latter contact the registration perforations normally register, a brush located upon the opposite side of the web to the conveyor and applied thereagainst in the path of the contacts through the registration perforations as the same pass the brush, a pair of self-locking relays one connected in circuit with the forward contact and with the brush and the other connected in circuit with the rearward contact and with the brush, means operable by each of said relays when energized to break the circuit of the other, a third relay connected in circuit with the neutral contact and with the brush and arranged when energized to break the circuits of both the self-locking relays, the latter being adapted whilst energized to set a feed regulating mechanism for the web in continuous operation, for the purpose described.

7. A control system of the kind referred to for the feeding in register of a web having registration indications provided at regular intervals along the length thereof, which comprises in combination a rotatable conveyor drum over a portion of the circumference of which the web is arranged to extend and which is adapted to travel at the normal speed of the web, at least three circumferentially arranged contacts on said conveyor, namely a forward contact and a rearward contact and a neutral contact disposed between them with which latter contact the registration indications normally register, a pair of self-locking relays the circuit of one electrically connected with the forward contact and the other with the rearward contact, the said relays being adapted for operative connection to a feed regulating mechanism for theweb so that whilst energized either relay effects a corresponding continuous operation of said mechanism, means operable by each of said relays when energized to break the circuit of the other, athird relay, the circuit of which is electrically connected with the neutral contact and arranged when energized to break the circuits of both the self-locking relays and means operable by said registration indications to establish the circuit of that relay only which which said indications are in register, for the purpose described.

8. A control system of the kind referred to for the feeding in register of a web having registration indications provided at regular intervals sponse of said device to an error in registration,

a further detector device responsive solely to correct registration of said indications and a" relay operatively connected to said further device and operable when energized to break the circuit of the self-locking relay, said self-locking relay being adapted solely whilst energized to close the control circuit of an electrically controlled feed regulating mechanism for the web, for the purpose described.

9. A control system of the kind referred to for the feeding in register of a web having registration indications provided at regular intervals along the length thereof, which comprises a detector device responsive to errors in registration of said indication in one direction, a detector device responsive to errors in registration of said indications in the opposite direction, said devices being operatively connected to control means for a feed regulating mechanism for the web and adapted upon one responsive operation of either device to actuate said control means and thereby effect a corresponding continuous operation of said feed regulating mechanism, and a further detector device responsive solely to correct registration of said indications and operatively connected to said control means for the regulating mechanism and adapted upon a responsive actuation to actuate said control means and thereby terminate any actuation of said regulating mechanism then in progress, for the purpose de-- scribed.

10. A control system of the kind referred to for the feeding in register of a web having registration indications provided at regular intervals along the length thereof, which comprises a detector device responsive to errorsin'registration of said indications in one direction, a detector device responsive to errors in registration of said indications in the opposite direction, a

pair of self-locking relays, the circuit of one of which is operatively connected to first said detector device and the circuit of the other of which is connected to the other detector device, means operable by each of said relays to break the circuit of the other, control means for a feed regulating mechanism for the web operatively connected to each 'of said self-locking relays, each relay being adapted to be energized upon one responsive operation of the corresponding detector device and thereby actuate said control means to effect a corresponding continuous operation of said feed regulating mechanism, a further detector device responsive solely to correct registration of said indications, a relay operatively connected to said further device and adapted to be energized upon actuation of said device and an operative connection between said further relay and said control means for the- HORACE DRUMMON D BLACK. 

